Welcome to the Piracicaba 8th Ward

"Oi! Tudo Bom!

This past week has been awesome. I like this new area so much more than Campo Grande, although I did love all the members and investigators in C.G. Piracicaba 8 is really calm, much slower and more relaxed than busy Campinas. Piracicaba is a big city, too, but I have no idea how big. It certainly isn't like Campinas. Here the members are much more excited about missionary work and they help a lot more. For instance, we received precious few referrals in the four months I was in C. G., even though we worked hard and had the confidence of the members. Here we have already received nearly 20 referrals from the members! NOSSA! There is one family that in particular is fantistic. I'll tell you about them.

Prior to the transfer my comp and this family conspired to pull a prank on whatever elder was transferred to this ward. There are the parents, and an 18 year old daughter, and a 20ish mentally handicapped son. The mom was going to pretend to be the only active member of the church while the dad was going to pretend to be a drunk and the daughter was going to pretend to be a mute (she knows sign language so it was easy for her). Well, I arrived and my comp took me to their house. The daughter started signing to me and I actually had learned a few signs back in Campos Eliseos, because Elder Segura and Elder Santos, our zone leaders, were learning it. That only made their prank more perfect. So, I was sitting there signing with her and going along with the whole thing. The father kept acting drunk and offered me some alcohol of some kind. This went on for two whole days. Finally, at the end of my second day in the area, the mute girl, Mayara, played a song on the guitar, because, you know, mutes can hear but can't speak. So, she was playing and right when she got to the chorus she started to sing. HOLY COW was I shocked...I just sat there with an astonished look on my face! Then everyone jumped up and shouted 'Seja bem-vindos A Ala oito'! (Welcome to the 8th ward!) I have to admit that was a good one. That was a really good one!

Here we have it good. Our house is rather big with two floors and is clean! Elder Rossi has been out 9 months, almost 10 now and we can understand each other in Portuguese perfectly. I barely have any difficulty speaking and understanding now and every one here says I speak very well. That's good to hear. I never heard that in C. G.

We have a baptism scheduled for this Saturday. She is an older woman named Neuzita. Her daughter is a member and actually is serving a mission right now. Cool Huh! Church here is cool, too. It's a lot more organized than the C. G. ward. Attendance is higher and they have their own piano player (although he asked me if I played. When I said yes, he asked me to play and I did, but I think I showed him up a bit. I felt bad...lol).

Everything is great here! I know the work is true. I'll talk to you again soon. Tschau!

Elder C. Larsen (They changed my name to this to avoid that transfer mess again)

Transfer.....Which Elder Larsen?

"Well, I've been transferred! Here's the story, it's kinda funny. The AP called last night and told us that Elder Larsen would be transferred...well, of course, we asked which one? He said that my comp would be and that I would stay. So, my comp spent all night long packing his bags. His bags are completely broken, so when we left for the transfer meeting his wheels wouldn't turn and were ground flat, so it was really hard to take them and we had to call a taxi. Well, we got there REALLY late. We walked in and everyone was like..'OS LARSEN CHEGARAM!' (The Larsens have arrived). Well, the president announced our transfer and it turns out that I was the one transferred and he was staying. The AP's sure messed up on that one! So, we had to go
back to our house in another taxi and I had to pack my stuff. I've yet to go to my new area, which is in another city almost two hours away. It's in Piracicaba. I'm in the Piracibaba 8th ward. It's going to be good. My comp is Elder Rossi, from Brasilia, and doesn't speak a lick of English, so I'm going to really progress in Portuguese this time. It's going to be cool. My only regret is that Elder Larsen had a goal to baptize with every one of his companions and he never baptized with me. I feel really bad about that and hope that some day we can fix that. We both have a lot of time left on the mission, so who knows?

I think it is awesome that you are going to Elder Segura's homecoming. He has been awesome and I've wanted to be a missionarry like him from the beginning. I respect him and love him and hope to see him after the mission.

I am writing to Casey today to send next week. He's going to the highest baptising mission in Brasil. In Fortaleza they baptise about 600 people a month. Compare that to Campinas' 170 in December which was the highest in many years. He'll love it there.

Thanks for the pictures and the packages I've received. It will be harder to get and share packages now that I'm so far away from the center of Campinas.

I love you and I miss you and I'm working hard.

Elder Christian Larsen

Six Months--Burn A Tie Time!

"Sunday was awesome, I was so happy to talk to you guys. (Mother's Day).

This week is my zone leader's last week. Elder Segura goes home this Tuesday. Holy cow, I am going to miss him. He's really the only zone leader that I've known up until now. Monday at our zone meeting we sang 'We can be together forever someday' in Portuguese. He almost cried. I have the video. I don't blame him. It's gotta be hard. He's the one who lives in Draper. But anyway, he's going home!

Yesterday I went on a division with our zone leaders and I stayed with Elder Santos in his area. We ran into a drunk walking down the road quacking! The first street contact I made that day turned out to be the patriarch's son. I didn't realize that until half way through....oops! We ended the day by teaching the absolute best family I have ever met here in Brazil. They are so happy, so fun, and so curious! The zone leaders dang well better baptize them.

Here's something interesting. The buses are on strike! This is really inconvenient, because we have to take the bus to and from our area each day. I don't know what will happen if we can't use the bus or convince a member to give us a ride. We'll probably have to work here in our zone leaders's area, which would be good for them, because they have two areas. But I pray that the buses will start to work. Hmm...I wonder what will happen with transfers if buses are still on strike. I REALLY hope that I will stay with Elder Larsen for at least one more transfer.

You're right about my friends. I have really good friends. I don't think I ever realized how much they really do love me and respect me. I was humbled by that during the phone call.

I can't believe that it is still snowing there. It's in the 70s here and EVERYBODY is freezing! Everybody dresses their dogs up because they think it's freezing. Everyone has like 4 layers on. Everyone is shocked that we aren't cold in our short sleeves.

So, this morning Elder Krueger and Elder Thompson showed up. When I got out Elder Krueger hugged me and was all like 'Parabens!! Today is your 6 month mark!! I hadn't even realized it. Tonight I think I'll burn a tie!

Well, we are going. Thank you for all the packages, letters, and love. I love all of you. Tschau!
Elder Christian Larsen

Trials of a Missionary

"We didn't have a baptism Saturday. We were hoping for one, but the young man's mother wouldn't give him permission. But get this...this is wierd. This guy, Flavio, stopped us on the street and asked us to teach him. We went and taught him, but his brother is freaky and we can't teach him around his brother, so we have to teach him in the chapel. At our first lesson with him he gave us each a tie. At that lesson we found out he was imprisoned until last September for car theft. He came to church on Sunday and liked it and we taught him in the chapel afterwards. We scheduled another lesson with him for Monday at the chapel, but he didn't show up. Acutally he did, 15 min. early to give the BOM to our neighbor to give back to us. What the heck! Well, we still have hope for him.

Oh, my English is terrible now! I think I'm in the phase where its hard to communicate with anybody...in Portuguese or English. It must be a transition. My goal for Portuguese now is to speak slower and more distinctly. The worst thing about being with Elder Larsen is that everyone notices how good he is and how bad I am in comparison. I will improve.

We're excited about the Mother's Day call. Next Sunday, the 4th you'll do a test call. I'll answer for his parents and my companion will answer for me. You will have to call the bishop's house at 5 pm your time which is 8 pm here. This will only take a few minutes, but we have found this to be the best. At Christmas Elder Larsen waited for two hours for his parents to call because of some misunderstanding. Then, the real call will take place on the following Sunday at a time we determine. You should call his parents for more information. They know the drill.

If anybody is anxious about me writing them, tell them I will, in due time. We are SUPER busy and stressed, so honestly, I do my best. I really care about everyone and am so grateful for each and every letter. Please don't stop writing, because I don't get back to you right a way. It's pretty hectic here!

Thanks so much for fasting for us. Because of that, our zone leaders scheduled a baptism for May 17th with a guy who lives in our area. (I saved the best for last). We haven't found the house yet, but we will keep looking. Pray that this will hold true!

Elder Christian Larsen